Improvement in washing-machines



wxLLlAMB. H. BEACH.

Improvement in Washing-'Machines'.

NO127,298. P atented May 28,1872.

inw/miam.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEo WILLIAM B. H. BEACH, OF NAPLES, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN WASHING-MACHINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 127,293, dated May 28,1872.

To all whomjt may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM B. H. BEACH, of Naples, in the county ofOntario and State of New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Washing-Machines; and

` I do hereby declare that the following is a full,

clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of thesame, reference being had to the accompanying drawing making a part ofthis specification, in which- Figure lis a longitudinal verticalsection. Fig. 2 is a view of devices detached for regulating the poweror pressure of the springs upon the rubber.

Like letters in both-figures of the drawing indicate like parts.

My invention consists of hinge-jointed arms connecting cross-bars andsprings so arranged with the rubber and shaft having a pivotalconnection with the standards of the machine as to permit the rubber toreadily adjust itself to various thickness of clothes; also, of aneccentric roller, constructed and pivoted at either one or both ends ofthe sides of the standards, so as to adjust the wash-board at differentheights, and thus adapt it to more or less water, as occasion mayrequire.

A, B, and G are the hinge -jointed arms 5 D and E, the connecting crossbars; F, the springs; Gr, the rubber; H, the shaft; II, the standardssupporting the latter, and having sides, a, for supporting thewash-board formed of rollers b 5 J, the eccentric roller; Vand K, thecam-lever or power-regulator for regulating the power or pressure ofthesprings upon the rubber. The hin ge-j ointed arms A B- are hin ged orpivoted at suitable distances apart to the cross-bars D and E, above andbelow, on each side ofthe machine, cross-bars E being rigidly attached,one at each endof the rubber. If preferable, the bottom ends of thesearms may be pivoted to knee-plates fastened by screws to the rubber. Thearms C are made round to receive the spiral springs F, their lower endsbeing left square to form shoulders c for the lower ends of the springsto rest upon, and hinged to crossbars D in the center of each. Theirupper ends are made to fit and work freely in holes of the shaft H, fromwhich they are suspended and held by a pin, d, passed through them abovethe shaft, the ends of which latter have a pivotal connection with theends of the standards. Apressure-plate,e,with a hole in it at each endlarge enough to work freely on the arms, is arranged immediately madesquare and eccentrically pivoted to either one or both ends of the sidesof the standards, so as to adjust the wash-board at different heights,and thus adapt it to more or less water by turning the roller up ordown, as may be required, the box being provided with a groove on eachside to receive and hold the standards in place, which are made to litloosely in the grooves, so as to permit of their being freely moved upand down therein when adjusting the wash-board. Fig. l shows thewash-board when adjusted to the position desired, the roller beingturned down. The dotted lines show its position before adjustment, theroller being turned up. I contemplate making the ends of the roller ofan octagonal, hexagonal, or other similar shape that will accomplish theadjustment of the wash-board, substantially the same as above described.

The rubber is operated by the handle L attached at a suitable angle tothe arms B.

Operation.

The clothes being placed on the wash-board and the rubber drawn back andforth over them by the handle L, it `will be seen that the pivotal orhinge-joint -connection of the arms and cross-bars with each other andwith the rubber, in connection with the reciprocal motion of arms C inthe holes of the shaft, permits the rubber to freely adjust itself tovarious thicknesses of clothes, the springs producing the requisiteamount of pressure upon the rubber,which may be increased or diminishedby pressing the lever'up or down, as may be required.

As it is sometimes necessary to use more or less water in washing, thewash-boardv can be readily adjusted for this purpose by turning theroller up or down, as hereinbefore described.

Having thus fully described my invention,

what I claim therein as new, and desire'to secure by Letters Patent, is-4 1. The hinge-jointed arms A, B, and C, cross bars D and E, springs F,in combination with the rubber G, and shaft H having a pivotalconnection with standards I, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of the hin ge-jointed arms A, B, and G, cross-bars Dand E, spiral springs F, rubber G, pressure-plate e, shaft H, camleverK, and standards I, all constructed to operate substantially as setforth.

3. The eccentric roller J, constructed and pivoted at either one or bothends of the sides of the standards, so as to adjust the washboarcl atvarious heights, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

As evidence that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have hereuntoset my hand and seal in the presence of two witnesses.

WM. B. H. BEACH. [L s]- Witnesses:

S. L. DEYo,

A. O.MoRR1s.

